Stiffer chassis

The majority of the visible changes happen at the front and rear end of the vehicle. From axle to axle, the midsection of the tC appears completely unchanged, keeping the silhouette of the current model intact. Behind the scenes, however, Scion has increased chassis rigidity with more spot welds while also retuning the electronic power steering, suspension, and stabilizer bars to add more "sport" to this front-drive sports coupe.

Interior

Display audio

Toyota's 6.1-inch touch-screen Display Audio System gets Scion-restyled and makes an appearance in the 2014 tC as a standard feature. Bluetooth, HD Radio, and USB connectivity are now the baseline of Scion technology. There will also be a premium "BeSpoke" audio system that features Aha by Harmon app integration and turn-by-turn navigation.

Six-speed automatic

The 179-horsepower, 2.5-liter engine was not mentioned in the presentation, because it survives the 2014 midyear update completely unchanged. The six-speed automatic transmission now features an "FR-S inspired" manual-shift mode with Dynamic Rev Management rev-matching software that attempts to match engine speed with the chosen gear to smooth out those upshifts and downshifts. The 2014 tC is, of course, still available with a six-speed manual gearbox, as well.

Phantom Scion badge

On the passenger-side dashboard, the Scion name illuminates upon entering the vehicle. After a few seconds, the logo fades leaving just the letters "IO" (now read as "10") lit momentarily before completely disappearing into the dashboard. It's a very cool trick.